A civil society organization, Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM), has dragged the Lagos gubernatorial of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olajide Adediran, popularly called Jandor, his deputy, Funke Akindele, also known as Jenifa, and others, before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for allegedly breaching the 2022 Electoral Act in the state.
The group said that Jandor, his deputy, and a Lagos PDP house of representatives candidate, Bankole Wellington popularly called Banky W, breached the 2022 electoral act after they started canvassing for votes ahead of next year’s election before INEC signaled the commencement of campaign for the poll.
It stated that Jandor and others in an utter violation of the law sponsored a documentary aired on national television to commemorate the 2022 International Youth Day which was filled with campaign messages for the candidate and PDP.
The group alleged the PDP candidates wilfully and flagrantly violated not only section 94 (1) of the Electoral Act, but also the publicly published INEC guidelines on the 2023 elections by commencing political campaigns well ahead of the official kick-off date.
In a petition submitted before the Chairman of the electoral commission, Prof Mahmud Yaqub, by the group’s Executive Chairman, Nelson Ekujumi, CPPM expressed displeasure at the alleged continued contravention of the Act without hindrance in Lagos.
The group noted that section 94 (1) of the 2022 Electoral Act states, “For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day”.
It added that the publication of the 2023 Election guidelines by INEC has scheduled gubernatorial and states House of Assembly elections campaigns to hold between October 12 2022 – March 9 2023.
CPPM described Jandor and others’ action as an act of lawlessness and brazen disregard for the laws governing the country’s elections and democracy,
According to the group, Jandor, Akindele, and Bankole Wellington as well as others that engaged in the act must be made to face the full weight of the law for bringing Nigeria’s democracy to opprobrium.
According to the group, we were motivated to petition the electoral umpire because of its concern with upholding the sanctity and integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process by the stakeholders at all times, but which unfortunately has been imperiled by the conduct of Olajide Adediran, his deputy, Funke Akindele, Bankole Wellington and others.
“And we are afraid that such conducts, if replicated by other parties and candidates, amount to the invitation of further breakdown of law and order which is unacceptable and condemnable”.
The group, however, noted that it is aware that Nigerian youths are law abiding citizens who are desirous of contributing their own quota to national development in a lawful manner and would not in anyway want to be associated with the conduct of this violators of the Electoral Act and published INEC guidelines on 2023 general elections.
CPPM then called on INEC to live up to it’s constitutional responsibility of holding every stakeholder accountable to play according to the rules of engagement by meting out appropriate sanctions to violators according to law.
